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Sportradar Announces Agreement to Acquire IMG ARENA and Its Strategic Portfolio of Global Sports Betting Rights

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 Will Strengthen Company’s Global Offering for Most Bet Upon Sports Including Tennis, Soccer and Basketball     

Expected to Accelerate Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Growth and Will Be Accretive to Adjusted EBITDA Margins   

Sportradar Group AG, a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. to acquire IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio. IMG ARENA’s portfolio will enhance Sportradar’s content and product offering and further strengthen its strategic position as a leading content provider in the most bet upon global sports, including tennis, soccer and basketball.

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Adding these betting rights to its content portfolio increases Sportradar’s depth and breadth in key global sports, expanding the Company’s content distribution and further fueling product development. With its highly scalable technology platform and extensive client network, Sportradar will seamlessly integrate and monetize these rights driving incremental value for clients, partners and shareholders.

Upon closing, the acquisition will provide a number of key benefits:

  • Enhances margins: Immediately accretive to Sportradar’s adjusted EBITDA margins, aligning with our disciplined investment approach;
  • Accelerates growth: Further accelerates Sportradar’s robust revenue, adjusted EBITDA and cash flow growth;
  • Unique structure: Sportradar will not be required to pay any financial consideration; Transaction provides financial consideration totaling $225 million comprised of $125 million paid to Sportradar and up to $100 million cash prepayments made by Endeavor to certain of the sports rightsholders;
  • Highly strategic portfolio: Basketball, soccer and tennis account for approximately 70% of the rights which are the top three most bet on global sports, complementing our existing sports portfolio.

This incoming portfolio of global betting rights comprises strategic relationships with over 70 rightsholders covering approximately 39,000 official data events and 30,000 streaming events across 14 global sports on six continents. Prominent global properties include Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Roland-Garros, Major League Soccer, EuroLeague basketball and PGA Tour. Combined with existing tennis rights, Sportradar will now hold betting rights to three of the four Grand Slams.

The unique structure of this transaction will further strengthen Sportradar’s already robust balance sheet and enhance its significant liquidity position, allowing for continued strategic investments and opportunities for incremental shareholder returns, including an anticipated acceleration on the pace of its existing buyback program.

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, stated: “Sportradar’s success is driven by the breadth of its sports coverage, its broad product portfolio and leading technology, and its global distribution network.  Given our proven track record of maximizing ROI through our global betting rights deals and our strengthened position across tennis, basketball and soccer, we are confident in our ability to realize the full economic potential of this portfolio. In addition, the unique structure of this transaction accelerates our revenue and cash flow profile and will be immediately accretive to our margins. The addition of these strategic rights will unlock new growth opportunities, enabling us to deliver exceptional value to our partners, clients and shareholders.”

The transaction is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions. UBS Swiss Financial Advisors is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Brandl Talos served as transaction counsel to Sportradar.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

The Chiliz Group acquires OG Esports, reuniting with original co-founders to launch new era

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  • Chiliz Group acquires 51% of OG Esports, investing to grow the team, expand operations, and strengthen fan and player engagement.

  • Xavier Oswald, a former co-founder and shareholder of OG, becomes CEO, while OG co-founders Johan “n0tail” Sundstein and Sébastien “Ceb” Debs launch a new strategic project consolidating the team’s competitive foundation.

  • Socios.com becomes the exclusive platform for $OG Fan Tokens, $OG will act as the showcase for blockchain-based utility.

The Chiliz Group, the world’s leading blockchain provider for the sports and entertainment industry and operator of Socios.com, today announced it has acquired a 51% controlling stake in OG Esports, one of the most iconic and innovative names in global esports.

Founded in 2015 by legendary Dota 2 players Johan “n0tail” Sundstein and Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, OG is the first team in history to win back-to-back titles at The International. Since then, OG has expanded into Counter-Strike, Honor of Kings and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, building one of the most successful and culturally significant organisations in esports.

OG has a track record of delivering a fan-driven culture through innovation and launched the $OG Fan Token in 2020. The $OG Fan Token recently became the first esports Fan Token to surpass a $100 million market capitalization, driven by surging global demand for digital fan assets. Having delivered exclusive voting rights, VIP experiences, merchandise, and direct access to the team for fans worldwide, $OG represents a thriving $100m+ digital fan economy.

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As part of the acquisition, Xavier Oswald will take on the role of CEO of OG, guiding the organisation into its next chapter, while co-founders Johan “n0tail” Sundstein and Sébastien “Ceb” Debs will lead a new strategic project consolidating the team’s competitive foundation, driving innovation at the intersection of esports and Web3.

At the same time, Socios.com will become the exclusive wallet and engagement platform for $OG Fan Tokens, establishing $OG as the flagship example of the new fan economy. The token will now showcase how fan assets can evolve – serving as the blockchain layer for tickets, merchandise, in-stadium perks, and digital content, while also integrating real-world assets and club revenues through mechanisms like buybacks to deliver deeper influence and tangible value to supporters.

Through The Chiliz Group’s global network of more than 80 leading sports properties, OG will now be able to expand into new countries and markets, building a larger international footprint and new commercial opportunities. Backed by the financial strength of a global group, OG will become more resilient and sustainable, ensuring long-term stability while focusing on what matters most: players, fans, and innovation.

More details about the acquisition will be released in the coming weeks.

“OG has always been about community and innovation, and since 2020 it has demonstrated that Fan Tokens can create genuine economic value and meaningful engagement,” said Alex Dreyfus, CEO and Founder of Chiliz. “With a $100 million fan token economy already established, OG represents the perfect case study for what’s truly possible when we place Fan Tokens at the centre of the fan economy. This acquisition allows us to showcase the next evolution – Fan Tokens 2.0.”

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“This marks the start of a bold new era for OG,” said Xavier Oswald, incoming CEO of OG. “With Chiliz as our majority partner, we can scale our teams, grow our global community, and unlock a new dimension of engagement through the $OG Fan Token. We’ve always believed that fans should be at the centre of everything we do, and now we have the tools and the backing to make that vision a reality.”

“With Chiliz, we share a common vision based on strong values: passion, transparency, and the power of communities.” said Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, co-founder and historic figure of OG Esports. “From winning back-to-back Internationals to competing against OpenAI Five in a world-first showcase of human-AI collaboration, OG has always been about pushing boundaries. This alliance will allow us to stay true to our identity while continuing to grow.”

“This agreement marks the beginning of a new competitive cycle,’ added Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, two-time world champion with OG. “We want to once again become a major force on the international stage and inspire a new generation of players and fans. With the support of Chiliz, we now have the means to build an ambitious and sustainable project.”

The post The Chiliz Group acquires OG Esports, reuniting with original co-founders to launch new era appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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NOVOMATIC successfully completes sale of ADMIRAL Austria to Tipico and focuses on international growth markets

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Europe’s leading gaming technology group has successfully completed the sale of ADMIRAL Austria to Tipico. This transaction underscores NOVOMATIC’s long-term focus on global expansion and marks another important milestone in its international growth strategy. ADMIRAL Austria will remain an important technology partner under its new owner Tipico and will continue to rely on NOVOMATIC’s innovative technology solutions in the future.

Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of NOVOMATIC AG, emphasized: “The completion of this transaction marks an important step in our global expansion strategy with a clear focus on international growth markets. ADMIRAL has developed into an established market leader over the past decades, and we thank all ADMIRAL employees for their great commitment. We are pleased to have found a strong and reliable technology partner in Tipico, who will successfully continue the company’s operations in Austria.”

Axel Hefer, CEO of the Tipico Group, stated: “We are delighted about the successful completion of this transaction. ADMIRAL is a leading Austrian company with a strong legacy, and clear potential for future growth. Both companies are synonymous with state-of-the-art technology, innovative products and a high focus to player protection. Our future collaboration is very good news for our customers.”

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The closing of the transaction followed the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

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DIA and Christchurch Casino Reach Settlement in Anti-Money Laundering Proceedings

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The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs has reported that a settlement has been reached in the civil proceedings against Christchurch Casinos Limited for alleged breaches of its obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009.

As part of the settlement, Christchurch Casino has admitted all seven causes of action in DIA’s amended statement of claim and has agreed to join DIA in recommending that the High Court impose a penalty of $5.06m on Christchurch Casino.

Between May 2023 and September 2024, DIA conducted an investigation into Christchurch Casino’s AML/CFT compliance, and found that it had breached a number of its obligations under the Act.

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DIA found that Christchurch Casino had failed to establish, implement and maintain a compliant AML/CFT compliance programme, adequately monitor accounts, conduct compliant enhanced customer due diligence, terminate existing business relationships when required and keep records as required by the Act. These failures spanned between December 2018 and December 2023.

“This agreement is a significant and positive outcome. It’s encouraging to achieve our intended result without the time and expense of court proceedings” said Serge Sablyak, Director of AML/CFT Group.

“While the regulatory breaches were serious, we acknowledge Christchurch Casino’s decision to admit to the breaches and take responsibility for what were substantial failings.”

“We’re proud that our work has strengthened the integrity of New Zealand’s financial system and has helped build public confidence in the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing.”

DIA and Christchurch Casino have recommended to the High Court that the matter now proceed to a penalty hearing for the Court to determine the appropriate penalty to be imposed on Christchurch Casino.

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Christchurch Casino is not alleged to have been directly involved in money laundering or the financing of terrorism.

The post DIA and Christchurch Casino Reach Settlement in Anti-Money Laundering Proceedings appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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